AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
THE PLACE OF SAFETY – PART THREE
Saturday – June 6, 2020, Sivan 14, 5780
Greetings most precious saints of the only living God. There is no other living God.
Before we dive into the teaching for today I want to bring everyone up to date on a Sabbatical Moments project in the fund raising and planning stage. The Lord has asked us to put new vinyl siding on the Beacon of Hope Church of God in Bangor Maine. The exterior is in terrible condition and we featured a picture of the front exterior two weeks ago (23 May 2020). A corner post problem (see picture) was noted in the front foyer and that is being addressed prior to applying the siding. 
The siding project will start the 27th of June. Our fundraising is 85% complete, and 15% as yet unfunded. The Lord is leading someone to be a vital part of this project, please donate as the Lord leads.
Now, back to the teaching at hand. There are many gods, none of them God, and most of them are not living. For example, Satan, the Devil, the Serpent or Old Dragon is in existence and is a real person but is not spiritually alive but very dead. Satan is referred to as the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). Just how much protection or safety do you suppose Satan affords his followers? Zero!! The thief (Satan and his bunch) comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). I am not talking about people who say they are Satan worshipers alone here, but all who are not saved. Unfortunately, the god of this world, Satan, is god to much of the Church. He is god to much of the Church through our being conformed to the ways of the world, the traditions of men, and the doctrines of devils. How much protection do you suppose we get from God when we violate the explicitly given commandment to have no other gods before us (Exodus 20:3)? We are not to be conformed to the world, we are not to be mixing the knowledge of and partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Let us not turn aside to other words, to other gods and be destroyed but do all that the Lord commands and walk in the abundant life which includes absolute protection.
Our place of safety in Christ Jesus is intertwined with our love and faith walk. If our love walk is weak our faith will be weak. Just as we are pleased when people believe us and act upon our words with confidence so it is with the Father. When we don’t do the Word, it may be because we are ignorant of the Word, think we have a better way, maybe we just don’t want to do it, or we just plain don’t believe it. Now, mixed (devil is an expert at creating mixtures) into all of this is the ideas or the traditions of men and the doctrines of devils. Many times, wrong, demonic ideas, have crept into the Church and are generally accepted as Truth for it sounds “right”. For example, the idea that God is in control of everything going on is just plain wrong. We are freewill creatures made in the image and likeness of God. We chose death or life with our own tongues; we chose to be obedient or disobedient according to our own will. We chose to love (do the commandments, the whole Word of God) God or not. We chose to develop faith in God, His Word, or not. What am I choosing today, what have you chosen? It seems to me that we, the Church, starting with new believers are not taught the deep and profound reverence due the Word of God above all other words. It seems that our sermons have become more like bedtime stories, sociology, and psychology lessons then Words that make the difference between life and death, victory and defeat. Jesus defines love (agape) of God.
John 14:15 (KJV)
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
He is not talking about just the Ten Commandments but all of the Word of God. Every Word that has proceeded from the mouth of God. So, if we are not doing the commandments (walking in the light we have), we do not love Him. Can we have stealing, killing, and destroying in our lives and be doing His commandments? When I say doing His commandments, I am saying that with the caveats that we are doing what we know to do and that we are doing them with an obedient and willing heart.
Isaiah 1:19-20 (KJV)
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Verse nineteen (faith) starts with the word “if” so who is in charge or in control of our being willing and obedient? So, as we examine ourselves are our hearts willing and obedient, or are we refusing in one way or another to do His commandments and are therefore in rebellion? Do we or God chose if we will partake of the good of the land? Do we or God chose if we will be devoured or not? Verse nineteen is a place of safety, verse twenty is not. If you can take it let’s go just a little further.
John 14:21 (KJV)
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
This keeping of the Word, the commandments of God, must be rather important for Jesus to keep talking about it. Of course, the Bible is full of people who obeyed and those who did not. Have we decided which group we want to be in or have we stuck our heads in the sand and gone about our own ways all the time bewildered at the lack of abundance in our lives?
Philippians 2:12-14 (TLB)
12 Dearest friends, when I was there with you, you were always so careful to follow my instructions. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to do the good things that result from being saved, obeying God with deep reverence, shrinking back from all that might displease him.
13 For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants.
14 In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing
Let us, each one, determine we will study, get the Word of God into us, build faith, and then do it with an eager and willing heart (love). Doing the will of God does not have a downside in the Kingdom of God only an upside, now and in eternity. Will we be persecuted? You betcha! Remember, just as in the time of Jesus the most vehement persecution will come from within organized religion. What should that have to do with our obedience other than tell us we are on the right track? Do we want to be in THE PLACE OF SAFETY now and in eternity?
2 Chronicles 20:20b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus name! Quit asking God to bless you, you are already blessed, you have the Blessing, give Him something to do by the words of your mouth. Once you know the will of God, decree the thing (Job 22:28, Isaiah 45:11, Mark 11:23). (The Blessing is the Holy Spirit) We have left God way to long with nothing to do in our lives.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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